Senior Living Options for Veterans: Home, Assisted Living, Nursing

As veterans age, many families face a hard question: where should Dad or Mom live when daily life gets harder? The good news is that VA offers more than one answer. VA says, "As a Veteran, you may be able to get long-term care services like assisted living, residential (live-in), or home health care." Options range from help at home to a full nursing home. This guide walks through each choice, what VA pays for, and what it does not, using VA's own words.

Key Takeaways

• To get most VA long-term care, a veteran must be enrolled in VA health care, VA must find that the service is needed, and the service must be available nearby.
• VA runs more than 100 Community Living Centers, which are VA nursing homes.
• State Veterans Homes are owned and run by states, not VA. As of June 1, 2026, VA lists 177 of them.
• VA does not pay for room and board in assisted living or adult family homes, but VA pension with Aid and Attendance can add income for eligible veterans.
• Many veterans can get care at home, including Home Based Primary Care, home health aides, adult day care, and respite care.
• For 2026, VA nursing home copays can be up to $97 a day, but long-term care copays are not charged until the 22nd day of care.

Table of Contents

• How VA Long-Term Care Works
• Care at Home
• Assisted Living and Other Residential Settings
• Nursing Home Care: VA, Community, and State Homes
• Steps to Choose the Right Setting
• Ask the Navigator
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sources

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How VA Long-Term Care Works

VA long-term care is part of VA health care. It is not a separate program you join on its own.

The three basic conditions

VA lists three things that must be true:

• "You're signed up for VA healthcare"
• VA concludes "that you need a specific service"
• "The service (or space in the care setting) is available near you"

What it costs

VA says, "If you're enrolled in VA health care, we cover some long-term care services under our standard health benefits." But "You may still need to pay a copay for some covered services." VA adds that services it does not cover may need to be paid through "Medicaid, Medicare, or your own private insurance."

VA's 2026 copay rates, effective January 1, 2026, list:

• Inpatient extended care (such as a Community Living Center): up to $97 a day.
• Outpatient extended care (such as adult day health care or daily respite): up to $15 a day.

VA says long-term care copays "are not charged until the 22nd day of care." VA's copay rates page explains that there is no copay for the first 21 days of extended care in a 12-month period. VA also says "Copays are NOT charged for Hospice Care provided in any setting." Your actual copay depends on the level of care and the financial information you give VA on VA Form 10-10EC, the Application for Extended Care Benefits.

Care at Home

Many veterans want to stay in their own homes as long as they can. VA offers several services that help.

Home Based Primary Care

VA describes this as "Health care services provided to Veterans in their home," supervised by a physician. It is meant for veterans with complex medical needs, when clinic visits are not enough.

Homemaker and Home Health Aide care

A home health aide is a "Trained person who can come to a Veteran's home and help the Veteran take care of themselves and their daily activities." Aides are not nurses, but registered nurses supervise them. They can help with bathing, dressing, eating, getting around, grocery shopping, and using the bathroom. VA says, "All enrolled Veterans are eligible for Homemaker Home Health Aide Care if they are eligible for community care and meet the clinical criteria for the service."

Other home and community services

• Skilled Home Health Care: Short-term care for veterans who are homebound or live far from VA.
• Veteran-Directed Care: Lets veterans of all ages receive home and community services "in a consumer-directed way."
• Adult Day Health Care: A daytime program with social activities, peer support, companionship, and recreation.
• Respite Care: Pays for someone to come to the home, or for the veteran to attend a program, "while their family caregiver takes a break."
• Telehealth: Lets a VA doctor or nurse watch the veteran's health from a distance.
• Hospice Care: Comfort care for a veteran with a terminal condition and less than 6 months to live. It can be given at home or in other settings.

Assisted Living and Other Residential Settings

Some veterans do not need a nursing home but can no longer live alone. VA describes several "residential settings."

Assisted living

VA describes assisted living as "Centers where Veterans can live in a rented room or apartment." These centers "are not run, staffed, or paid for by VA." VA states plainly, "The VA does not pay for room and board in residential settings such as Assisted Living or Adult Family Homes." However, VA says "you may be able to use VA benefits to help pay for extra services (like visits from a VA healthcare provider)."

How Aid and Attendance can help

Because VA does not pay assisted living room and board, many families look at VA pension with Aid and Attendance. VA says this benefit is for veterans who get VA pension and meet at least one need, such as needing "another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing." For December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2026, VA lists the maximum yearly pension rate for a veteran with no dependents and Aid and Attendance as $29,093. VA pension also has a net worth limit of $163,699 for that period. Read more in our guide to Aid and Attendance.

Other residential options

• Medical Foster Homes: "Private homes in which a trained caregiver provides services to a few individuals." VA inspects and approves these homes.
• Adult Family Homes: "Places where Veterans can live in a rented room."
• Community Residential Care: For "Veterans who do not need hospital or nursing home care, but cannot live alone because of medical or psychiatric conditions."

Nursing Home Care: VA, Community, and State Homes

When a veteran needs nursing care around the clock, VA lists three main nursing home settings. All three provide "skilled nursing care 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

VA Community Living Centers

A Community Living Center (CLC) is a VA nursing home. VA says CLCs offer "nursing home level of care, which includes help with activities of daily living and skilled nursing and medical care." VA runs over 100 CLCs across the country. They are designed to feel like home, with activities, family visiting areas, and pet visits. Most stays are short, such as after a hospital stay. VA says stays last "for a short time and in rare cases, until the end of life." Eligibility depends on "service connected status, level of disability, and income," and the veteran must be enrolled in VA health care and medically stable.

Community Nursing Homes

VA describes these as "Non-VA nursing homes that we contract with in many parts of the country so you can get care near your home and family."

State Veterans Homes

VA says, "State Veterans Homes are facilities that provide eligible Veterans with nursing home, domiciliary, or adult day care." Key facts from VA:

• They are owned and run by state governments. VA recognizes, certifies, and surveys them each year.
• As of June 1, 2026, VA lists 177 State Veterans Homes, with 171 nursing home programs, 47 domiciliary programs, and 3 adult day health care programs.
• "Each state sets its own eligibility and admission requirements."
• Some State Veterans Homes may also accept non-veteran spouses and Gold Star parents.
• VA pays per diem payments to states for veterans' care.

VA points families to the National Association of State Veterans Homes directory to find a home. For more on paying for nursing care, see our guide to VA nursing home and long-term care benefits.

Steps to Choose the Right Setting

Here is a common path families follow. It is educational, not medical or legal advice.

1. Enroll in VA health care. VA long-term care starts with enrollment.
2. Talk to a VA social worker. VA says to contact your VA social worker or case manager to start the process and find a facility.
3. Get a care needs review. VA must conclude that a service is needed before it provides it.
4. Start with home-based options. Ask about Home Based Primary Care, home health aides, adult day care, and respite care.
5. Complete VA Form 10-10EC. This sets your long-term care copay.
6. If assisted living is the plan, look at Aid and Attendance. Remember that VA does not pay room and board there.
7. If nursing home care is needed, compare all three types. Ask about CLCs, community nursing homes, and your State Veterans Home rules.

Ask the Navigator

Not sure which senior living option fits your family? Ask AVOY Veteran Navigator AI™ at avoyvet.com. You can also take the free Veteran Legacy Checklist to plan for care, housing, and your family's future together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does VA pay for assisted living?

Not for room and board. VA says it "does not pay for room and board in residential settings such as Assisted Living or Adult Family Homes." VA benefits may help pay for extra services, and VA pension with Aid and Attendance can add income for eligible veterans.

What is a VA Community Living Center?

It is a VA nursing home. VA runs over 100 of them. Most stays are short-term, and eligibility depends on service-connected status, level of disability, and income.

Who runs State Veterans Homes?

State governments own and run them. VA certifies and surveys them each year and pays per diem payments to states for veterans' care. Each state sets its own admission rules.

Can my spouse live in a State Veterans Home with me?

It depends on the state. VA says some State Veterans Homes may accept non-veteran spouses and Gold Star parents.

What does VA nursing home care cost in 2026?

VA lists a copay of up to $97 a day for inpatient extended care, effective January 1, 2026. Long-term care copays are not charged until the 22nd day of care. Your actual amount depends on the financial details you report on VA Form 10-10EC.

Sources

• Nursing homes, assisted living, and home health care — VA.gov
• Does VA cover nursing home, assisted living, or other long-term care? — VA.gov
• Community Living Centers (VA Nursing Homes) — VA.gov
• Residential Settings and Nursing Homes — VA.gov
• Home, Community, and Residential Care Settings — VA.gov
• State Veterans Home Program — VA.gov
• Home and Community Based Services — VA.gov
• Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care — VA.gov
• VA Long Term Care Services — VA.gov
• Current VA health care copay rates — VA.gov
• Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance — VA.gov
• Current pension rates for Veterans — VA.gov

Educational information only — not legal, tax, financial, or medical advice, and not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Estate and probate rules vary by state; an estate attorney in your state can confirm what applies. For VA benefits help, contact a VA-accredited VSO (often free), claims agent, or attorney.